title: Emerging therapeutic biomarkers in endometrial cancer.
abstract: Although clinical trials of molecular therapies targeting critical biomarkers (mTOR, epidermal growth factor receptor/epidermal growth factor receptor 2, and vascular endothelial growth factor) in endometrial cancer show modest effects, there are still challenges that might remain regarding primary/acquired drug resistance and unexpected side effects on normal tissues. New studies that aim to target both genetic and epigenetic alterations (noncoding microRNA) underlying malignant properties of tumor cells and to specifically attack tumor cells using cell surface markers overexpressed in tumor tissue are emerging. More importantly, strategies that disrupt the cancer stem cell/epithelial-mesenchymal transition-dependent signals and reactivate antitumor immune responses would bring new hope for complete elimination of all cell compartments in endometrial cancer. We briefly review the current status of molecular therapies tested in clinical trials and mainly discuss the potential therapeutic candidates that are possibly used to develop more effective and specific therapies against endometrial cancer progression and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's Health Educational System, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N15, W7, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. dongpeix@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Peixin
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaneuchi
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Konno
authors.forename: Hidemichi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watari
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sudo
authors.forename: Noriaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakuragi
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D014411:Neoplastic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D035683:MicroRNAs